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Former mayors honored with street names




Former mayors Hollis Westbrooks and Richard Reeves were honored Wednesday by the naming of two city streets that connect to Joe B. Jackson Parkway.

Former mayors Hollis Westbrooks and Richard Reeves were honored Wednesday by the naming of two city streets that connect to Joe B. Jackson Parkway.

Joe B. Jackson was also a longtime mayor of Murfreesboro.

Both streets named, Reeves and Westbrooks, intersect with Joe B. Jackson Parkway on either side of the Amazon Fulfillment Center. Brief ceremonies were held for each.

In attendance and making remarks were state Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), Murfreesboro Mayor Tommy Bragg and Reeves, who served as mayor from 1998 to 2002.

Westbrooks, who served from 1965 to 1982, is deceased.

I was thinking … people drive in here to work every day and wonder what is Richard Reeves Drive,” Reeves said. “These people come here from all over everywhere to work and this is just such a nice honor for me.

He said it was a privilege for him to be associated with Jackson and Westbrook, both of who did so much for the growth of the community.

Former city attorney Tom Reed said he was honored to speak about Westbrooks, who served as mayor for a number of years as well.

I had the pleasure of serving as city attorney during a significant amount of time during his tenure, he said. The thing I remember best about Mayor Westbrooks was he was so gentle-mannered. He was caring and gentle with the public he was firm (when he had to be), but he was so gentle.

Reed told a story about a public hearing where Westbrooks had to vote an unpopular no but did it in such a way that people thanked him on his way out.

During an interview in 2000, after retiring from politics, Jackson told the story of himself and several friends coming back from World War II and seeing the need for a change in direction from the basically agrarian economy that existed in Murfreesboro at that time.

We had seen more progressive communities, he said during that interview, and we realized if we wanted to grow, we were going to have to bring in industry. The first to come was Assonate, a factory where people from all over Middle Tennessee came to work, and others followed.

But, we have to keep at it, he said. We have to try and stay ahead of the curve.

All three streets bearing the names of the former mayors are located in the industrial area south of Murfreesboro between Interstate 24 and Manchester Pike.

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